Peter Bol: Beyond Bol Foundation
Peter Bol: Beyond Bol Foundation
October 27, 2026
For three-time Australian Olympian Peter Bol, sport has been a pathway to much more than competition.
After migrating to Australia from Sudan at the age of 10, Peter experienced first-hand some of the barriers that can make it difficult for young people to find their place in sport and the wider community. Language was a fundamental hurdle, but there were less obvious challenges too, from knowing where to go and who to speak to, to finding a way into opportunities in the first place.
For Peter, a teacher at school became the person who helped him navigate those barriers. She connected him with a mentor, giving him the guidance and support he needed to pursue opportunities that might otherwise have remained out of reach. The experience stayed with Peter, shaping his understanding of how much the right support can influence a young person’s path and, ultimately, his vision for Beyond Bol.
“Opportunity is everything. Opportunity is access. Opportunity is getting through different doors. Opportunity is community, and opportunity is belonging.”
Now, Peter is looking to pay it forward. The networks he has built, the knowledge he has gained and the guidance he has received throughout his career all form part of what he hopes to make available to the next generation.
Established to support young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, the Beyond Bol Foundation uses sport as a vehicle for access, mentorship and connection. Its focus extends beyond developing athletes, recognising that the benefits of participating in sport can reach into education, confidence, leadership and a young person’s sense of belonging.
Turning personal experience into opportunity
Creating meaningful access isn't simply about opening the door. It's about understanding what might be preventing someone from getting through it in the first place.
That thinking has helped shape the way Beyond Bol is being developed. Rather than starting with a fixed programme and asking young people to fit into it, Peter wants to understand each person individually and identify what could help them move forward.
“I needed help with access and language. Another kid could just need mentoring. Another kid could need the financial resources, and another one could just need the network and support.”
Peter's own experience may have shaped the Foundation's purpose, but he doesn't assume that every young person needs the same support he did. The first step is understanding what is missing for each individual, then working out what could help fill that gap.
Sport provides the common ground, but the Foundation’s focus isn’t about creating elite athletes. The aim is to give young people tools and experiences they can take with them, whatever direction their sporting or personal lives take next.
“We're not going to promise to make you the next greatest Olympian, but we will promise to make you a great person, and that is way better.”
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Putting the idea into practice
In July, Peter brought that idea to life at Lakeside Stadium for the first Beyond Bol Foundation skills session.
The day brought together a small group of young people from CALD communities for a combination of high-performance education, mentoring and practical athletics training.
On the track, participants worked through sprints, agility and jumping activities with Peter, learning fundamental skills that could translate across different sports. More importantly, it gave them time to train alongside an Olympian, ask questions and experience first-hand the kind of environment Beyond Bol is designed to create.
For Ayub Khalif, who had previously struggled to find direction and support in his own athletics journey, the experience offered something beyond training.
“When you're constantly being put down, it honestly just makes you lose your love for the sport. And then that's what Pete's been able to help me find: direction, an idea…how to set those goals and to reach them.”
For Deng Amum, the experience offered a different kind of encouragement:
“It just gives me hope just thinking about that I have potential. And it doesn't really matter where you're from, you always have potential.”
The first session was small by design, giving Peter and the Foundation a chance to begin building the model in practice and learn from the young people it hopes to support as Beyond Bol grows.
See Beyond Bol in action
Hear from Peter about his vision for the Foundation and see highlights from its first skills session at Lakeside Stadium.
From a concept to a foundation
The idea for Beyond Bol had been developing in Peter's mind for some time. Establishing a foundation, however, requires more than a strong idea and a desire to give back.
Peter partnered with the Australian Sports Foundation to help turn that idea into something tangible. Together, they worked through Peter’s ambitions, the areas he wanted to address and the story behind them, helping shape the thinking into a clear foundation and case for support.
That has given Peter the space to bring his own experience and networks to the work, while building the knowledge and structure needed to take Beyond Bol from concept to reality.
“Ideas help you find your road to your purpose. Clarity helps you build confidence, and the Australian Sports Foundation helps you build that clarity.”
For Peter, choosing ASF was also about finding a partner that understood the role sport could play in creating broader social impact. Its history in Australian sport, its connection to the community and its shared values made the partnership a natural fit.
“They've got the history behind them, the credibility. They also genuinely really care about the Australian community and I'm using sport as a vehicle, so it's a no-brainer to partner with them.”
Beyond the track
The session at Lakeside offered a glimpse of what Peter wants to build: giving young people the chance to experience sport in a supportive environment, learn from people around them and see what they might be capable of. As the Foundation grows, he hopes to bring that experience to more communities across Australia.
“Every cent counts. You have no idea the impact that you make with your donations and how many people you're going to touch.”
